Okay, everyone, ''Yeah, Goodwill."

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Katie H

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Did it again today. Was looking for something else when I was grabbed by my arm and dragged over to the "wares" section of the store. Must've been an invisible person because I certainly didn't see anyone.

Long story short...I left the store with a darned near untouched Calphalon nonstick grill pan for $7. I checked online and locally and found the same one on sale at our area Kohl's for about $80.

Lucky for us I bought some steaks at the market just before I stopped at Goodwill. I've had a pretty good run of luck there the last few months.
 
Did it again today. Was looking for something else when I was grabbed by my arm and dragged over to the "wares" section of the store. Must've been an invisible person because I certainly didn't see anyone.

Long story short...I left the store with a darned near untouched Calphalon nonstick grill pan for $7. I checked online and locally and found the same one on sale at our area Kohl's for about $80.

Lucky for us I bought some steaks at the market just before I stopped at Goodwill. I've had a pretty good run of luck there the last few months.

Great find Katie!
Next time you go, can I tag along with you?

It's been a while sense I've been to a Good Will store.
Found a brand new, as you call it Merry go round with all the accessories and then some. Our adopted son to this day uses it. Calls me still, to thank me for that. He always wanted one after seeing mine.

I think the month might have something to do with all the goodies.
The merry go round was found in October. Other goods as well. Have you noticed a pattern to. Or is just me?

Maybe it's the people moving during the spring, summer months that are unloading everything.. Perhaps it's by chance?

Munky Badger. :)
 
Not sure about any pattern to how things show up. However, this store is in a college town and I can always count on a lot of extra "stuff" when the school year ends. Some of these students must live pretty well from the looks of the furnishings and housewares. A lot of it better than I had when I was a newlywed in the late '60s.

Also, during the summer/warmer months, Tuesdays are always a good day because the facility has processed most of what was donated after yard sale leftovers.

Other than those two instances, there doesn't appear to be any thing else that might influence the variety, or lack thereof, of goodies for sale.
 
Did it again today...I've had a pretty good run of luck there the last few months.
Some people have all the luck! :LOL: It seems like the resale shops around here offer lesser quality items than out your way. I have had very good success, however, when shopping in Ohio's Amish Country, and also in church or hospital thrift shops in Bloomington IL or Williamsburg, VA.

Have fun and enjoy your new grill...and especially all the delicious goodies that will come off of it. :yum:
 
Some people have all the luck! :LOL: It seems like the resale shops around here offer lesser quality items than out your way. I have had very good success, however, when shopping in Ohio's Amish Country, and also in church or hospital thrift shops in Bloomington IL or Williamsburg, VA.

Have fun and enjoy your new grill...and especially all the delicious goodies that will come off of it. :yum:

I do regularly visit other "specialty" shops in my area. There are several run by the local hospitals, along with some that are Catholic church-based. The only real difference among any of them is the pricing. Although, I can't say any of them are high.

My current "quest" is grandchild-related since we're going to welcome two more in 2017. One in February, the other in March. One of each flavor. Last week I picked up an absolutely adorable and pristine little girl's outfit for $1.59. As rapidly as the little ones grow in the early months, it only makes sense.
 
Did it again today. Was looking for something else when I was grabbed by my arm and dragged over to the "wares" section of the store. Must've been an invisible person because I certainly didn't see anyone.

Long story short...I left the store with a darned near untouched Calphalon nonstick grill pan for $7. I checked online and locally and found the same one on sale at our area Kohl's for about $80.

Lucky for us I bought some steaks at the market just before I stopped at Goodwill. I've had a pretty good run of luck there the last few months.
My charity shop best buy was last winter's smart coat. Cream coloured, 100% wool, expensive German label, full-length coat = £20 (about $30 at last year's exchange rate). It was brand new - didn't look as it it had been worn. I looked it up on the internet - saw that its price, new, was the equivalent in Deutsch marks of about £250!!!

I love charity shops.
 
Some people have all the luck! :LOL: It seems like the resale shops around here offer lesser quality items than out your way. I have had very good success, however, when shopping in Ohio's Amish Country, and also in church or hospital thrift shops in Bloomington IL or Williamsburg, VA.

Have fun and enjoy your new grill...and especially all the delicious goodies that will come off of it. :yum:
I think you have to pick and choose your area. The more "up market" the area, the better the stuff you find in charity shops. A friend, whose husband had to attend "posh" events for his work, used to buy her evening dresses and the odd "ball gown" in charity shops in the towns and villages in "millionaires' row" in Cheshire. She once picked up a Karl Lagerfeld ball gown for under £200!!!
 
It is like going to auctions and yard sales. You never know what treasure you will find. I didn't bring winter coats with me to MN because I knew I could get them at thrift stores. So far, I have snagged a cranberry red (not my color) down jacket for $10, a Columbia jacket (fall, not winter but it is PURPLE with navy accents) for $13 and a Dale of Norway cardigan (in my colors) for $20 (retail is $379-without the cost of a trip to Norway). I have also picked up polar fleece "bottoms" for my mom for $2, several sweatshirts, and scarves. All between $0.50 and 3. I have no problem wearing hand-me downs. I check for flaws, etc., before I buy. I have bought a lot of my kitchen toys at yard sales, auctions, and thrift stores. You just have to go in with the idea that you might find something...People toss out the most amazing stuff.
 
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Remember the old wooden ironing board your grandmother had? I found one in perfect condition that had 15 covers on it with the pads. I washed every one of them and only this year did I finally wear out the last one. And I only paid 69 cents for the whole thing. I loved that board. Counting the years the previous owner must have had it and all the years I used it, it started to wear out and fall apart. I was repairing the repairs.
 
I found one of those old wooden ironing boards years ago and cleaned it up to use as additional counter space and as a serving table in a very small apartment. It's fun to repurpose some of those old things, more fun than ironing anyway! :ermm::ohmy::LOL:
 
I found one of those old wooden ironing boards years ago and cleaned it up to use as additional counter space and as a serving table in a very small apartment. It's fun to repurpose some of those old things, more fun than ironing anyway! :ermm::ohmy::LOL:

Aunt Bea, I am one of those folks who love to iron. It is my escape from the world around me on some days. Specially in the wintertime. A pot of soup or stew simmer on the back burner, set up the board in front of the TV and while away an hour or two of my day. My sister used to toss all her ironing in a huge box. About every other week she would call, I would grab my iron and head for her house. We would spend the whole day getting caught up on her ironing. For some strange reason I always ended up doing the girls dresses that had ruffles and other items that required more time and were more difficult to press. Her major contribution was sprinkle and roll up.
 
I'm an ironer, too. Always have been. Like Addie, it seems to soothe me. Plus I find a wonderful satisfaction in seeing the stacks of crisp, smooth pillowcases and the hangers with the shirts showing off their wrinkle-free fronts and perky collars.

Just me.
 
Aunt Bea, I am one of those folks who love to iron. It is my escape from the world around me on some days. Specially in the wintertime. A pot of soup or stew simmer on the back burner, set up the board in front of the TV and while away an hour or two of my day. My sister used to toss all her ironing in a huge box. About every other week she would call, I would grab my iron and head for her house. We would spend the whole day getting caught up on her ironing. For some strange reason I always ended up doing the girls dresses that had ruffles and other items that required more time and were more difficult to press. Her major contribution was sprinkle and roll up.
Ooh, Addie, if I jump on the next ship will you do my ironing, please?
 
It is like going to auctions and yard sales. You never know what treasure you will find. I didn't bring winter coats with me to MN because I knew I could get them at thrift stores. So far, I have snagged a cranberry red (not my color) down jacket for $10, a Columbia jacket (fall, not winter but it is PURPLE with navy accents) for $13 and a Dale of Norway cardigan (in my colors) for $20 (retail is $379-without the cost of a trip to Norway). I have also picked up polar fleece "bottoms" for my mom for $2, several sweatshirts, and scarves. All between $0.50 and 3. I have no problem wearing hand-me downs. I check for flaws, etc., before I buy. I have bought a lot of my kitchen toys at yard sales, auctions, and thrift stores. You just have to go in with the idea that you might find something...People toss out the most amazing stuff.
I buy most of my stable clothes in charity shops. After paying £150 for a supposedly waterproof riding jacket which wasn't and seeing the price of basic sweatshirts in the equestrian shops I took myself off to the nearest charity shop and kitted myself out with enough warm & waterproof clothes for the winter season for £10!
 
I am a Goodwill, thrift store junky. I need my fix. Sooooo...because I couldn't fit a decent winter coat for MN in my luggage when I came back in October, I have been Goodwill hunting for a down coat that would cover my butt. MN winters are brutal. I also didn't want to pay big bucks because I have all that stuff in Ontario. I got to go check out the local thrift shops yesterday. I got a Columbia jacket (purple) with a down zip-out liner/jacket for $12.99. A friend told me that jacket sells for over $300. I got so many great things, including the ATK Baking book for $4.25. My Dad is mortified that I shop at the Goodwill. "That's for people on social assistance who can't afford to shop anywhere else. I could never go in there." Is that the sentiment? I shop at thrift stores because I am looking for things that might no longer be available and, well, I'm cheap. I don't want to pay full price for something if I can get a gently-used version of the same for a whole lot less.
 
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